Heads or Tails
by TabithaWinchester
Summary: Gabriel was working his normal shift at the local animal shelter one day when an out-of-towner [Sam] rushes in with a wounded dog. Gabriel is trying to figure out what was so different about this particular man. What about him made Gabriel stop and think twice before making an attempt at a one night stand? (Sabriel animal shelter AU)
1. Heads or Tails

(**Unfinished) I'll post more chapters. This was a prompt from Tumblr, hope you enjoy it!(: It can also be found on AO3(my username is WinchesterFaith) by the same title. As always feedback is greatly encouraged and appreciated.**

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The boss is out and it is after-hours so Gabriel finally has the chance to sit back and relax before he starts locking up. He ran his fingers through his sandy hair and leaned back in his chair, kicking his legs up on the counter and scattering some papers in the process. Today had been a long and extremely weird one. Some guy had busted in the door this morning, cradling a bloody German Shepard to his chest and calling for someone to help him, that he had hit the dog with his car. He must have been from out of town because he wasn't even in the right place. This was an animal shelter, not an animal hospital. But they _did_ have one vet on staff just in case things like this turned up out of the blue. The man himself was at least six foot five and sweating like a whore in church. He had locks of brown hair falling into his eyes and sticking to his forehead, almost reaching his shoulders in the back lengthwise. Gabriel never did figure out who the guy was, he didn't even take the time to sign him in, he just hurriedly led him to their lead vet, Anna Milton, in the back and made sure to tell him the dog would be fine and it wasn't entirely his fault. Things happen. After leaving the dog with Anna, Gabe started leading the guy back to the front room and out the door. The whole while the guy kept muttering that he always manages to screw something up everywhere he goes and that he should have been watching the road more closely. Real sap, that one. Pretty though. Very.

Suddenly the bell rang on the door and Gabe almost feel right out of his seat at the surprise. The papers from the table flew in all differnent directions and a few folders were knocked over and scattered as well. It was a total mess but at least Gabriel didnt end up on his face. Gabriel cursed under his breath and rounded the counter, kneeling down to pick up everything. The man who had just walked in rushed over and started helping him, picking up the fallen papers and trying to pile them back nicely even though he didn't know the true order of them. Their hands kept brushing together as they both scrambled for the papers, the man's more than twice the size of Gabriel's. Gabriel was triying to tell him he didn't have to help but the man wouldn't have it. He continued reaching for the scattered papers and apologized quite frequently for causing this mess. Gabe was about to explain that he was just clumsy when he lifted his head up to see who it was and they bumped foreheads. Oh the irony...

"I'm so sorry, I-" Gabriel cut off short when he realized who it was, staring at the man unblinkingly. It was _him_. The one who had rushed in this morning with the German Shepard. And damn was Gabe wrong when he thought _pretty_... This man was _gorgeous_, his face that close, hair falling into his eyes as he was bent over, broad shoulders, hazel eyes, eyebrows knitted together in concentration. Gabe had to remind himself to blink. He went back to helping with all the stuff he'd knocked over, trying to shake the weird feeling in his gut. The man said it was fine, that it was his fault, and gathered the rest of the papers before standing up and reaching out a hand to help Gabe up with him. He's never felt so short in his life. Gabe knew this man was tall, but now that he was standing so close to him it felt like he was completely _towering_ over Gabe's five foot eight. He carefully stacked the papers back on his desk, trying to turn his mind away from where it was obviously going before he started blushing scarlet like an idiot.

"Sorry to cause you so much trouble in one day..." The guy said, shaking his head, "I was just wondering if the dog I brought in this morning was doing any better. I'm about to skip town to meet up with family in Sacramento and I wanted to make sure she was okay before I left. Guilty conscience." _Dammit_... Gabriel frowned and hoped the man hadn't noticed. Well there went _all_ the possibilities going through Gabe's mind. It only took one second and two words... _skip_ and _town_.

"Y'know... A guilty conscience is never a good thing for nice people like yourself... You must really like animals." Gabe said, cursing himself internally for stating the obvious and completely losing his touch. He was usually witty as hell but he couldn't seem to concentrate around this guy. It frustrated him more than ever. But he kind of liked it. The guy smiled and ran a hand through his long hair, moving the fallen strands out of his eyes and showing his dimples more clearly.

"You could say that. Never had much time for pets though. Wanted one but I was on the road too much, y'know?" Gabriel nodded his head even though he's never had the chance of traveling freely. He's always been stuck in this shelter, slowly making a living and only sharing an apartment with a small Jack Russell named Cassie. His life isn't that interesting. Never was. This was the most interesting thing that's happened to him for almost a year now and he felt like stalling the man to try an get him to stay longer. But for the life of him he couldn't think of anything to say. His mind was blank and his wit was gone. Instead of openly flirting as he always does he found himself acting more shyly, bowing his head to look at his feet so the guy wouldn't see his cheeks turn red. What did it really matter though? The guy was skipping town the next day anyway. There was no use at even trying. Realizing that he couldn't just leave the man hanging, he began leading him through the white hallways of the shelter, kennels on every side and dogs barking at them when they passed. He finally reached the large kennel the German Shepard was being kept in towards the back. The dog had been fine. Fractured leg, few bruises, and a little stitches. Nothing Anna couldn't handle. Gabe turned on the light and it flickered for a few seconds before turning on all the way. This place was so run down it must seem like a crappy motel to the animals staying here. Gabe hates it. He's always loved animals but he hates being stuck in this shelter. The man looked up at the light, which had started flickering again, as he made his way over to the large kennel housing the sleeping German Shepard.

"Lights causing you problems?" He asked nonchalantly as he kneeled down in front of the cage and tapped his fingers against the metal bars, whistling softly for the dog. She woke right up, wagging her tail and licking at his fingers. The man smiled and turned back to Gabriel who was standing awkwardly in the center if the room with his hands shoved in his back pockets. He would of answered his question except for the fact that he couldn't tell if it was rhetorical or not. Of course the lights were giving him trouble, you could clearly see them flickering. He usually would of said something sarcastic along the lines of that, but he couldn't bring himself to talk and he didn't want to come off as being rude to this man. He seemed too nice of a person to deal with people like Gabe. He seriously wasn't woth him.

"She seems _great_, you guys did a good job. Sorry for the inconvenience, I know this is just a shelter but it was the closest I knew of. I was just hoping you may of had a vet, and _surprise_, you did." The man smiled and Gabriel smirked back, a long strand of his messy hair falling into his eyes as he looked back down at his feet. He wished he was the one who got to patch the dog up. That is, in fact, what he had gone to college to do. He only got through about two years of it until his dad had a heart attack and died out of the blue, leaving his family completely imploded. Hints why he was now working at this shelter instead of the animal hospital a town over. He keeps applying there, almost every year. They were probably aggravated with him by now but he kept pushing so that maybe one day they'd finally give him a sort of sympathy job. It never happened though. Everyone else that applied always had more experience than him, more years in college than him, better qualities than him. There was always someone better...

Yeah, lucky huh? Anna is wonderful." He tried not to seem upset about it and faked a smile as the guy smiled back and said his goodbyes to the German Shepard before getting back up on his feet, towering over Gabe once again and standing too close for Gabe to keep his head from spinning wildly.

"Did you find the owner yet?"

"Nope. No tags, no chips, no nothing. She's completely ownerless. Once she heals up enough we'll just put her with the rest of the dogs, up for adoption. But more cases than none she'll probably end up at the pound. People usually come looking for the healthy ones and the puppies. It's not my call, trust me, but this shelter has been getting overcrowded lately." Gabe continued to watch his feet as they walked back down the narrow hallway, not daring to look up at the man. He was oddly quiet at his side for awhile until they made it back to the front room. This wan't like Gabe at all. He should have made his move by now, the guy was skipping down tomorrow. He'd probably never get a chance again. But something was stopping him and he couldn't explain it. The guy walked over to the door and was about to leave when his hand stalled over the handle. Gabriel felt a sliver of hope rise in his chest as the guy turned back around.

"You know what? I can fix those lights for y'all. I'm not asking for money or anything. Just wanna help out. Sacramento can wait anyways, who cares for family reunions these days. They always turn into huge fights and people faking smiles and beer being smashed against the wall. Well at least for _my_ family." Gabriel smirked sideways at the guy from where he was leaning against the desk, hands shoved into his back pockets again. Bad habit.

"I couldn't ask you to-"

"It's not a problem man. Hey, one more thing... Is that Anna chick your girl?" Gabriel was stunned silent for a minute. That was it. That was his chance. But now he had a choice. Heads or tails? Now or later? Right or wrong? He ended up laughing it off and looking back up at the guy.

"Nah man, she's just a friend. Why do you ask?" Gabriel said hopefully, looking up to carefully watch for any hint of flirtation from the bigger man. As much as he tried though, he couldn't tell. And maybe that was a good thing.

"No reason." The man said with a smile that cut into his cheeks and made Gabriel shift uneasily. "I'll be here tomorrow morning. Hey, I never did get your name." Gabriel felt like he might be blushing even though he couldn't be sure if he even had a reason to. This man was simply smiling at him and it felt like he was lighting up the whole room. Gabe realized he was staring again and quickly dropped his eyes. He had made his choice. Tails it was. Who knows, he might actually have a chance with this guy if he takes the time to know him first.

"Gabriel. They call me Gabriel." The man was halfway out the door, head arched around the corner and laughing lightly.

"Well Gabriel, they call me Sam." He said with a wink and was gone. Gabe stood there for a few minutes in silence before gathering his stuff and locking up. He didn't know what was up with him. There was just something about that Sam guy. Gosh, he was pathetic... Swooning over the first attractive, nice, guy that walks into this shelter and smiles like he loves the world and everyone he meets.

But then again, there _was_ something about him.


	2. Starbucks

**Next chapter of the Sabriel dog shelter AU requested from tumblr(: I'll have the first three chapters up pretty quick because they are already written, I'm currently writing the fourth. As always, feedback is greatly encouraged and appreciated, enjoy!**

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_Starbucks_

Gabriel woke up to his Jack Russell licking his nose. He tried to ignore her and go back to sleep but it was useless. Cassie was persistent on waking him up extra early every single day before work just so she can follow him around the house as he gets ready in the morning, scratching his legs, nipping at his ankles, whining for attention while he takes a shower...

"No! How many times have I told you to stop doing that?" He sighed and picked up the dog from his chest, dropping her on the bed beside him, which just made her think he was trying to play. She wagged her tail and pounced back on his chest when he pulled the covers over his face. Gabriel groaned in annoyance, there was no way he was falling back asleep now.

"Cassie! Couldn't you at least give me ten minutes extra sleep before work? I'm going to be sleep deprived and its all your fault." He pushed the covers off and turned off his alarm before it as even able to go off. Just like every morning. He really had no use of the thing when he had an attention whore for a dog. He rolled out of bed and walked tiredly to the bathroom, Cassie jumping at his legs. His routine never changed. Cassie wakes him up, he rolls out of bed before his alarm, takes a shower, brushes his teeth, gets dressed, goes to work. He doesn't even have time for breakfast most the time. He just stops at Starbucks on the way for coffee but that's about it. It didn't help that he didn't sleep much last night. He felt like a teenage girl thinking about her first crush. Except this was ten times worse. He probably looked like hell because he surely felt like it. Today was a double shift again so he'd have to stay to lock up. Yup, he needed the coffee.

Gabriel walked into the Starbucks two blocks away from the shelter, his collar up against the wind and hands shoved into his pockets. Great... Christmas would be here soon and he still only had Cassie to keep him company. As much as family reunions suck, he'd take that any day over being alone. He walked up to the counter and the cashier smiled at him, already expecting him and having his order ready. He's known Ellen since high school and she was one of the only friends he had left that actually stayed and hung around the small town they were all trying to escape from when they were kids. Everyone else got their wish, Gabe and Ellen were left behind. Ellen's story wasn't much different from Gabe's. She had gone to college to be something much greater than a cashier at the local Starbucks, but there was a family emergency and she got stuck with her brother's daughter, Johanna. She never talked much about her brother, just that he was in jail and his bad decisions brought a beautiful and intelligent young girl into her life. Someone to live for, y'know? Gabe wished he had that.

"I don't know whether I should be flattered or-"

"Just take your coffee, Gabe." Ellen said with a smile. Gabriel rolled his eyes and paid her before sitting up on the counter. It was too early for many customers and the workers were used to him being around every morning. His feet hung over the edge of the counter, swingy slowly as he picked up his coffee and took a sip, Ellen already going into her new exciting experience from the night before. That's when he saw him. Of course... Of course Sam would be at the same exact Starbucks he goes to every morning of his life. Gabe froze, legs no longer swinging and coffee cup halfway to his lips. He didn't know why this bothered him so much, but he was hoping he hadn't been seen yet.

"What's up with you?" Ellen asked, cutting off in mid sentence from her story when she saw Gabe's cheeks turn bright red. She was leaning her elbows on the counter, chin resting in her hands, looking up a him confusingly but definitely interested. Great, this was sure going to start something. Always did. But there was no way he could word his way out of it now. Ellen knew him too well for that.

"See that guy in corner over there? Well, I met him yesterday. His name is Sam and... Well, look a him." He said quietly. One of Ellen's favorite things in the world, all the way back from when they were in high school, was always trying to hook Gabe up. Of course, Gabriel never needed her help before, but now he's lost his touch and Sam's utterly g_orgeous_. Ellen's smile grew to her ears and she playfully punched him in the shoulder.

"He's hot. If you don't make your move soon I get dibs." Gabriel rolled his eyes but his cheeks darkened and he couldn't help the smile from spreading across his face. Ellen noticed the smile and the blush and stepped back a little, covering her mouth and laughing lightly, eyebrows raised humorously. "You really like this guy, huh?" She asked and Gabe couldn't hide the smile this time. Sadly, this was new for Gabe. He's never been in a relationship for more than a week at best, or even wanted one for that matter. Of course Ellen found it weird that Gabe was blushing because he was usually the one who made other people blush. He was always the witty and sarcastic flirt that hooked up with someone for one night after meeting them at the local bar. Not much of a life, he really never put much thought into it before. He had Cassie, a best friend, an apartment, and a steady job. Not saying he was extremely happy, but he wasn't depressed either. He wasn't exactly _lonely_ either, just kind of wanted more company sometimes. Ellen simply winked at him before turning him around by his shoulders and pushing him towards Sam's direction, making sure to cause a scene just like old times... He couldn't say he missed that.

"Hey, Sam!" She shouted, trying to make her voice sound like Gabe's but failing miserably and just laughing it off as Sam looked up from his laptop and smiled humorously. Gabe's cheeks were definitely the color of a lobster now... He turned around and glared at Ellen before picking up his coffee and sliding off the countertop, making his way over to Sam's table. The sun coming through the window made his hair look almost golden and Gabe had to remember to breathe as he sat down awkwardly across from him, Ellen whistling flirtatiously from the counter.

"Your friend?" Sam asked, looking back down at the laptop and typing extremely fast without even looking like he was concentrating too hard on it. It was an older model PC, but it sure looked like it had good use to it as Sam didn't miss a beat in his typing. There was a large sticker of a blue-flamed design on it and Gabe thought it suited Sam pretty well and then questioned why he would think that after only knowing the guy one day. He felt awkward and tried to remember how to talk when he heard Ellen shout from the counter sarcastically. Always the savior... In her own way of course.

"Sadly, yes." She said, answering Sam's prior question to Gabriel. Sam lifted his eyes and smirked at her, shaking his head as his laughed lightly to himself. Damn was his laugh cute. His nose scrunched slightly, dimples cutting into his cheeks, eyes squinted, and a smile so large it could turn a room full of depression happy. Gabe realized that he was staring again and took another sip of his coffee, playing at the paper wrapper nervously and wondering why Sam made him so insecure when he was usually the one calling the shots.

"Didn't expect to see you here." He said casually and Sam looked up from his laptop to take a sip of his coffee, smiling softly.

"Glad you did?" Sam asked playfully, smile warm and eyebrows raised. Gabriel had to look away to keep from blushing. He didn't know how to respond. Be too obvious or play it off? Overly confident of carful?

"Of course." He blurted and cursed himself internally at the bad decision the second the words left his lips. Sam laughed lightly and closed up his laptop, standing up from his seat and picking up his coffee with his other hand.

"So, I'll see you at the shelter, right?" Sam asked as Gabe was taking a sip of his coffee. He set the cup back down on the table and relaxed back in the chair, having to arch his neck back in order to see Sam's face. He wasn't sure if he loved the height difference or hated it. He was sure he'd come to love it with time though... At least, he hoped. Oh the things he- Ellen coughed from the counter and Gabe realized he was staring once again. He really needs to stop doing that before he scares Sam away. Sam was still smiling though, a laugh dancing on his lips as Gabriel blushed deep scarlet.

"Yeah, yeah! Right... The shelter, where I _work_." Gabriel felt like punching a wall as he started rambling like a brain dead idiot. Either that or a teenage girl. Neither suited him well.

"Damn you're cute." Sam breathed before turning away, waving to Ellen, who was staring at him wordlessly, and walking out the door. Gabe blinked a couple of times to make sure he was awake and watched as a huge smile slowly started to spread across Ellen's face. He walked over to her and jumped up onto the counter, leaving his coffee at the table without thinking. He's always hated the adjective _cute_, but for some reason he really liked the way Sam said it. Yup, definitely hitting dangerous teenage girl altitudes... He was soon to crash. Hard.

"Looks to me like my dibs isn't gonna be worth anything in a couple days. Maybe even one night. Who knows." Ellen said, winking and pushing into Gabe's shoulder playfully. Gabe smiled and pushed back. It's been so long since they were like this. Now it just seemed like they were back in high school again, gleaming over the new guy. Maybe this Christmas wouldn't be so bad.

Gabe made his way into the shelter, the regular sound of dogs barking and kids dragging their parents around yelling that they wanted the 'cute one'. He may be a _tad_ late... But his boss never really seemed to notice so he quickly snapped his name tag on and slid behind the front desk. There was an agitated family walking up to him, a small boy tugging on his mom's skirt and whining_ please _about a thousand times in a row without stopping for air._Kid's got talent_, Gabriel thought, rolling his eyes,_ This will be delightful..._ The father was the first one to the counter. Black business suit, nice tie, look of_ why the hell am I here and not at that eight o' clock meeting _plastered on his face along with many wrinkles and gray hair. Most likely caused by stress. The mother was talking on the phone while trying to detach her son's hands from her skirt.

"Sir, how much for the lab puppy? He's right over the in the kennel next Gabriel zoned out once he saw Sam walk in with an old toolbox at his side, he had taken off his thick tan jacket and was wearing a long sleeve plaid shirt, different shades of purple which undoubtably looked extremely nice on him, his sleeves rolled up to reveal his muscular arms even though it was cold as hell outside. _Is he dong this on purpose? _Gabe wasn't even going to begin about his jeans... Sam winked at Gabe, who smiled but turned back to the tired family in front of him when Sam raised his eyebrows disapprovingly and cocked his head in the direction of the customers.

"-So, the pup?" The guy finished and the color suddenly drained from Gabriel's face. He had totally missed that whole conversation. He heard Sam laugh lightly as he rounded the corner, face apologetic as he turned to face the family.

"Sorry, totally my fault. This one was too busy watching me walk in." Sam said teasingly as he started walking backwards towards the kennels, eyes still on the gray-haired man. Gabriel froze and smiled awkwardly at the family, scanning his mind for any useful thoughts that could help him right about now._ That _was flirting... That was definitely flirting. The rest of the day went on mostly the same way. He's had families repeat themselves for him about ten different times and each time was when Sam was in the front room, only in a tank top now, working on the lights. He didn't even need a ladder, he could reach just fine. Every time he noticed Gabe staring he'd just make everything much, much, worse. He'd usually just wink at him or occasionally smile one of his absolutely perfect smiles that was contagious to everyone around him. Especially Gabe.

It was finally after-hours and Gabe no longer had to bullshit his way through customers and dog owners. Sam had stayed the whole day, taking off for a lunch break of course, but Gabriel was amazed that he stayed throughout the double shift. He was cleaning up his tools and walking out the door to put them back in his car. Nice car. Real nice. Gabriel tried not to think about him and leaned back in his chair, running a hand anxiously through his hair and sighing. He was going to have to get used to this. Soon. Sam walked back inside, in the middle of pulling on his plaid shirt, shivering slightly.

"Damn it's gotten cold out there." He said as he managed to get the sleeves over his arms, leaving it unbuttoned. Gabe smirked and stood up, walking around his desk to lean against the front. Sam was only a few feet away and it made Gabe want to either run away from everything, suddenly grow a turtle shell, or push him against a wall and kiss him. He was just starting to think the second one was a good idea when Sam grabbed his small waist and brought him into a kiss. Gabe was shocked at first and forgot what to do, but Sam's lips were warm and everything Gabe had imagined them to be as he finally came to his senses and reached up on his toes to curl his arms around the base of Sam's neck, bringing him down closer. Even on his toes he wasn't tall enough, but he smiled against Sam's lips at the thought. It was all over too quickly and Gabe wished he could rewind that moment a thousand times and play it over again a thousand more. But Sam had pulled back, forehead rested against Gabe's, arms still wrapped tightly around his waist and holding his small body against his chest.

"Sorry, gotta run. See you tomorrow?" Gabe was searching Sam's eyes back and forth and still couldn't find any trace that he was lying and would actually stay the night. But Gabe didn't feel like pushing him, he'd just end up losing him like he always ended up losing everyone else. He had to be careful with Sam. It wasn't because he was tall, or because he was gorgeous, or because his lips felt so great against Gabe's. It was because of the way he smiled, the way he laughed and the way he talked. It was every small aspect about him that Gabe has been able to pick up in the past two days of just being around him. He'd never met anyone so happy, so light spirited, so nice. Gabe never has any luck with the nice guys. Ever. He is too witty for that. Well he _was._

"Of course." Gabe breathed before Sam kissed him once more and pulled away for good, leaving Gabe to roll back onto the balls of his feet and lean against the front desk like he always does, hands in his pockets and legs slightly more wobbly than before. Sam smiled at him, moving his long hair out of his eyes before saying goodbye and walking into the cold. Gabe watched him until he was in the Chevy Impala and driving away. He stood there in shock for a while, still able to feel Sam's lips on his and wondering how the hell this happened, before gathering his stuff and locking up just like he does every night. He always had the same boring routine, everyday of his boring and unimportant life. Nothing ever changed, nothing ever happened. Now something was. _Sam_ was. And maybe he finally had something here. Finally had some kind of _change_. He couldn't help hoping.


	3. Heat of the Moment

**Thanks for the reviews so far(: This is the last chapter I already had written, still working on the rest. As always, feedback is greatly encouraged and appreciated, enjoy!**

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_Heat of the Moment_

Gabe finally didn't have a double shift. _It was about time. _It felt like his boss was just trying to wear him out enough so he'd finally quit. He may have been close to quitting before, but he wasn't so sure about it now, it wasn't as bad as it used to be. Maybe because he wasn't concentrating on the job itself, he was concentrating on Sam. He hadn't been in the front room today, much to Gabe's displeasure, he was fixing the lights in the back. Anna also needed him to help her with the broken clock that hasn't moved off midnight for the passed two years now. Well that_ and_ the microwave. This place was all messed up. Soon enough though the other guy came in for the next shift. Gabe was going to say hi but he didn't know his name... It was sad really. Instead he just waved kindly and jumped out of his seat, walking through the hallway of kennels and into the back room where Sam had the German Shepard out, sitting cross legged on the tile floor and petting her stomach. Gabe smiled and walked over there, sitting next to Sam and reaching his hand out to pet behind the dog's ear.

"Harley. I named her Harley." Sam said, looking over to smile at Gabe who raised his eyebrows questionably, hand reaching up to move the stray strands of hair out of his eyes. Sam leaned down to kiss him gently, so quickly it almost hurt when his lips moved away. "I think I'm gonna keep her. I wanted to stay in one place for awhile and I thought starting to settle down would be the best thing." He continued, completely avoiding the fact that he just kissed him again and Gabriel smiled up at him, daring to lean against his shoulder and feeling a little more like himself. Harley noticed that Sam had stopped petting her and she pounced on both of them, knocking them against the floor and licking Sam's face. Sam was laughing uncontrollably as Gabe tried to get out from under the weight of the dog but couldn't, Harley beginning to lick his face now.

"Someone's jealous." Sam said, turning his head to look over at Gabe who was only a few inches away, noses almost touching and a dog licking his cheek persistently. Right before Gabe was about to lean in and try for another kiss someone coughed purposely behind them, both guys turning their heads around to see red high heels, eyes following up and landing on an amused and slightly confused redhead.

"Oh hey... Anna! I should... I should fix that microwave now, right Gabe?"

"Yeah, yeah the microwave. What'd we do without it? I'll just go back to... To putting this German Shepard back into her kennel." Anna laughed lightly as Gabe scrambled out from under the large dog, Sam having to help pull him up before they both put a comfortable distance between themselves and looked anywhere but directly at Anna or each other. Sam awkwardly dismissed himself before walking into the staff kitchen where the broken microwave was, leaving Gabriel with Harley tugging at his pants with her teeth, whining for him to pet her, and Anna raising an eyebrow at him, arms crossed over her chest.

"You're a dork." She said simply, shaking her head disapprovingly with a smile, laughing again as Gabe almost tripped over himself on the way to put Harley back in her kennel. Gabriel awkwardly shuffled past Anna and walked into the kitchen where he found Sam staring at the microwave, clearly thinking about something else. Gabriel didn't know what to do, he knew what_he_ wanted to do but he didn't know what _Sam_ wanted to do. That was the key point of not losing someone. And Gabriel was horrible at that. He walked over to Sam, who was kneeling down in front of the counter housing the broken microwave, and sat on the counter next to him, nudging him with his foot.

"Do you wanna... Have dinner or something? At my place?" Gabriel knew his cheeks were bright red and was glad that Sam still hadn't removed his eyes from the microwave. He was horrible at this. The dates the relationship the sticking around, he was never good at it. Of course, he never did _try_ it before either. But now that he was, his charm was gone, his wittiness and sarcasm along with it. He always thought that was just part of his personality but something about Sam made him want to keep that part of him tucked away.

"That'd be great, I'm sorry if I was too forward last-"

"Don't be." Gabe cut him off, smiling as Sam lifted his hazel eyes to look at him, dimples cutting into his cheeks. He really was _beautiful _and it made Gabriel's whole body tingle with anticipation. "But do you mind, if I be too foreword... Right now?" Gabe asked, starting to find some of his own confidence and before Sam could pinch his eyebrows together confusingly in the cute, confused puppy way he always does, he slid off the counter and kissed him. Kissed him like he did last night. Not worrying or thinking about anything else, not caring if anyone walked into the room... Not even Anna. He focused on Sam and his lips and his fingers now curling through Gabe's hair, his arm around the small of his back, Gabe's legs around Sam's waist. They fit together so easily it made everything almost feel _too_ easy. It's only been about three days, which felt more like weeks, and Gabriel was amazed at how comfortable he was with this stranger. Well, Sam couldn't possibly be labeled a stranger when Gabe knew almost every aspect about him. His expressions his smiles his eyes his dimples his lips... _Damn_, his lips. But not his life nor his family apart from the fact that they don't cope well together at a reunion. He knew that Sam had a guilty conscience, that he loved animals and felt like settling down, that he is handy with tools and will volunteer his help without asking for money. But that was stuff people could find out about a person by looking them up on a dating website, and that was pretty much it. Even so, Gabriel wasn't kissing him out of lust, he was kissing him out of something else that he couldn't label... It was crazy and it was reckless and he'd never felt this way before in his life. And it scared him. But he also kind of loved it.

Gabe was the first to pull back this time, knowing better than to try anything else. Sam was breathing hardly, inches away form his lips, a smile spreading across his face.

"Dinner?"

"In an hour." Gabe breathed and laughed lightly before beginning to untangle himself from Sam, standing up and holding onto the counter when his knees wobbled. Another thing that was new.

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Gabe gave Sam his address before leaving the shelter, shoving all the papers for Harley at the guy taking over his shift and winking when the guy groaned and watched as Sam pet the German Shepard through the cage. Sam would be bringing Harley with him tomorrow afternoon after he helps out, he said he was thinking of applying for an actual job here and Gabe really hoped he would. Or maybe that wasn't the best idea, that would make Sam his coworker and everything may end up really complicated. But at the moment Gabe didn't really care to think about that. He hopped into his car and threw his stuff in the backseat before driving away, headlights shining against the shelter windows where Sam was talking to the guy at the front desk, going through a bunch of papers and still looking happy about it. As he was driving away, Gabe turned on the radio and immediately regretted it when Asia poured through the speakers.

_It was the heat of the moment_

_Telling me what your heart meant_

Heat of the moment

_Shone in your eyes_

Gabe couldn't help but sing along.

* * *

Gabriel rushed in through the door once he drove up to his apartment, climbing the stairs two at a time and passing old Zachariah who was shouting at him to slow down and_ quit causing a ruckus._ Cassie was waiting for him behind the door and she immediately jumped at his feet, scratching at his jeans and whining. He sighed and threw his things on the couch before picking Cassie up and letting her lick his face and nuzzle against his cheek as he ran around trying to straighten the place up. He had forgotten how disorganized he was and Sam would be there any minute. He ended up throwing Cassie on the bed and running into his closet to change his shirt, not a nice shirt, just one that didn't have dog hair on it or was wrinkled. That was hard to find but he managed, pulling on a purple polo over his head and running his fingers through his hair to brush it down before running back into the living room, Cassie thinking he was playing and running at his heels everywhere he went.

"Dinner dinner dinner dinner dinner... What the_ hell_ do I have to eat here!?" He shouted the question to no one in particular, or even Cassie because she paid attention to every word he said even though she didn't understand in the slightest. He had started pacing the kitchen, Cassie biting at the shoelaces of his converse, when he heard a knock at the door. Too soon...

"_Shit_..." He muttered under his breath as he ran over to the door and collected himself quickly before opening it. Sam was almost as tall as the doorway itself, smiling widely, almost looking relieved.

"The old man out there... While I was running up the stairs he started-"

"Yeah, he's grumpy, come on in." Gabriel smiled, cutting him off and not believing he's gotten this far.

"No not that..." Sam said, making his way into the apartment, Cassie jumping at his legs happily, "I had gotten lost and asked which way to your room number and he got all smiley, like weird-old-man-serial-killer smiley, and pointed it out after saying, 'so your another one, eh?'" Gabriel froze in his place, looking around the apartment and even down at Cassie for answers. But he couldn't find any. What did the old man mean anyway? He hasn't had someone over for about... A year maybe? Sam didn't look judgmental in the slightest but Gabe was always one to put too much thought into something that didn't matter. Gabe decided not to try lying because he knew Sam probably wouldn't care, so he said the first the that came to mind, which of course came out in pieces because he was too intent on watching the way Sam took his jacket off his shoulders.

"I um... The guy hates me, I haven't had anyone over... In _awhile. _He's just trying to find a way to... To..."

"Don't worry about it, I'm not leaving because of your serial killer grandpa next door." Sam said with a smirk, turning around to place his jacket on Gabe's old coat hanger behind him. Gabriel wanted to kiss him more than anything but he controlled himself enough to walk into the kitchen and continue to look for something to cook. He should have thought about this_before_ inviting Sam over... But he wasn't really thinking at the moment. Sam walked around the small living room, jumping onto the couch and already sprawling out like he owned the joint, Cassie jumping onto his chest within seconds and licking his face. Gabe heard Sam laugh from the kitchen, saying_ aren't you a pretty girl, _and Cassie barking excitingly at the guest as he called out to Gabriel, asking what her name is.

"She's Cassie and she's a pain." Gabe called from the kitchen as he took out some noodles from the pantry, which was about the only thing he actually had left in there, and started boiling water before walking over to the seat next to the couch and sitting down awkwardly even though he was in his own apartment. Sam was too big to even fit across the whole couch while laying down, his feet hanging over the arm of it and swinging slightly.

"How so? She just wants attention." Sam said, sitting up to face Gabe, pulling Cassie up with him and petting her behind her ears.

"Yeah, every second of every day." Gabe said and Cassie recognized his tone, growling lowly at him. Sam pouted his lips and widened his eyes sadly, making him look exactly like a sad puppy and Gabriel wanted more than ever to go over there and cheer him up but the alarm on the stove went off and he practically fell out of the seat when it broke though the silence. Sam followed him to the kitchen this time, leaning against the counter and watching as Gabe ran around the kitchen. He asked if he needed any help but Gabe told him it was fine, that he was the guest. Sam didn't care though, he ended up stirring the noodles for him anyway. It didn't take long to finish dinner with Sam helping out, as much as Gabe told him he didn't need to. Soon enough they were sitting down at the small table in the kitchen, eating plain noodles with a little too much salt and having awkward first-date small talk without knowing exactly what to say. Dinner went on like that for a while and Gabe started to worry if he was boring Sam until he felt Sam's foot start tapping against his and slowly tracing up his leg, causing his cheeks to turn bright red whereas Sam's expression hadn't changed at all. Sam was talking about his brother, Dean, who was most likely throwing a bottle at someone's head at the family reunion. He went on into explaining how Dean and his boyfriend, Castiel, were engaged now and this was the first time they were, in a way, coming out to the family. So yeah, things were going to be thrown, that's life. Gabriel tried to pay attention to every word Sam said but found himself concentrating more on Sam's playful foot.

"Sorry about..." Gabe began, gesturing to the empty plates of over-salty noodles in front of them that hadn't tasted the best, but Sam shook his head, a smile spreading across his face.

"It tastes great, Gabe. Everyone's their worse critique, right?" Gabriel froze with his fork halfway to his mouth. That was the first time anyone's called him that since he was a kid. And it came from _Sam_. Sam was staring at him oddly now, raising his eyebrows as Gabe slowly lowered his fork back down to his plate, a smile starting to form shyly on his face. Why should he care so much that Sam shortened his name. It shouldn't mean that much. Well, to the person he used to be it wouldn't mean anything at all. It'd mean saving breath and less syllables that he'd forget by the next day anyway. But now...

"What is it?" Sam asked, searching Gabriel with his eyes and coming up with nothing to explain how he was behaving. Gabriel smiled and looked down at his hands.

"Its nothing. You just called me Gabe and that's the first time you've called me that. Hell, that's the first time anyone's called me that in a _long_ time." He said, regretting the words once the left his mouth, and looking back up to find Sam smiling largely at him, not saying anything as he got up from the table and took the finished plates to the sink. Gabe wanted to protest but he didn't know exactly why Sam was doing this in the first place so he decided against it. He stood up from the chair and walked into the living room, leaning against the wall as Cassie started barking again and Sam walked back into the room, looking a bit flustered. Gabriel suddenly regretted ever mentioning anything, it was probably just a slip of the tongue, Sam probably didn't mean anything by it and Gabe was taking it too seriously like he always did... He decided he should cut through the silence as Sam began walking over to him, Cassie at his heels.

"I'm sorry if... I just thought... I don't mean too-" Sam cut him off suddenly by pushing him further against the wall and kissing him harder than he ever kissed him before. Lips slamming together so fast that their teeth clanked together, causing Gabe to breathe in sharply at the impact. He felt small again, not that he minded. Standing up on his toes and still not completely able to fit himself exactly against Sam's chest, hands reaching around his neck to bring him down to his level as Sam deepened the kiss even more, practically inhaling Gabriel.

"Stop being... Sorry." He managed to say before quickly reaching his hands underneath Gabe's thighs and picking him up, holding him against his chest as Gabriel wrapped his feet around the small of Sam's back. They were finally level with each other. Gabriel's mind was spinning so fast he couldn't think straight. All he saw, felt, thought, breathed, and tasted was Sam. That's all that mattered. Sam being close to him, Sam's strong arms around him, Sam's lips against his, Sam's chest crushing him against the wall,_ Sam Sam Sam Sam Sam Sam_. That's all he could think and he couldn't understand what was wrong with him. Half the people he used to bring home he didn't even know their name, nor cared to learn it. But Sam's name, and the way it sounded as he breathed it against his lips, felt like the most important thing in the world at the time, the _only_ thing, and he _needed_ it.


	4. Stay

_Finally_, this chapter took me awhile because no matter how many times I read over it and redid it I still wasn't happy with it. Well I hope you enjoy it because I'm still iffy about it, next chapter may actually be the last so... (: as always, feedback is greatly appreciated and encouraged.

* * *

Gabriel woke up with the blankets pushed to his feet, half-hanging off the edge of the bed, and a warm body wrapped around his back, arms tucked around his waist and making his whole body buzz as last night started coming back to him all at once. Sam was still sleeping, chin tucked over Gabe's shoulder and sweat soaked hair falling against Gabe's cheek. He was slowly breathing in and out, bare chest rising and falling against Gabriel's back. He had stayed. Gabriel could have sworn Sam would have left when he woke up. He was actually fretting it all night, not wanting the night to end so he wouldn't have to face the morning without Sam in his arms, because that's just how things usually are. They've only known each other about five days, why would Sam stay? He should have woken up by now and ditched the apartment before Gabe had even blinked his eyes open. Well, at least that's how every other date usually went for Gabe. Maybe Sam was different. Maybe Sam actually _liked_ him. Not just out of lust, but liked who he was...? Gabe rolled his eyes at himself for thinking too much about something that clearly didn't exist, Sam was probably just too worn out to wake up early. Thats got to be it. Gabriel didn't mind either way, he was just glad Sam was still there as he nestled closer into his embrace, turning around slowly in his arms, carful not to wake him up, as he tucked his head into Sam's shoulder, arms pressed against his chest and legs lazily intertwining with Sam's. The sun started to shine in through the window but Gabe closed his eyes against it and just breathed in contently, breathed Sam in, and slowly found himself falling back asleep.

The next time he woke up Sam wasn't there. He felt lost for a second, arms outstretched over the mattress beside him, the blanket that had been kicked off now back over his shoulders. That was weird. He didn't have too much time to think about how it got there though because as soon as he showed any sign of movement Cassie was jumping onto his chest and licking at his face. He sighed and was about to push her away and finally get up but found he was too sore and too tired to move. He groaned in annoyance as he reached his arm lazily across the other side of the bed to turn off the alarm before it started blaring in his ears. That's when he heard a shower running. He cursed himself internally for not hearing that earlier, but he had been too focused on the fact that Sam wasn't beside him to actually take in his surroundings and realize Sam was still in the apartment. But the amount of time it took Gabe to realize the shower was running, the facet was already being cut off. Gabe rolled onto his back and looked up at the ceiling, completely ignoring the fact that Cassie was still licking he cheek. Soon enough the bathroom door squeaked open and Sam walked out in just his jeans, which he hadn't taken the time to button, belt hanging awkwardly and lopsided around his waist. He smiled when he saw Gabe look up at him and reached down to pick up his shirt. _Damn, he is beautiful..._

"Good morning." Sam said as Gabe sat up on the bed and hung his legs over the side, still having an internal war with himself on getting up or not. But Sam was up now, that was reason enough. He went to take one step off the bed and winced in pain.

"Jesus, Sammy... I don't think I can move." Gabe said playfully, looking up at Sam with a smirk as Sam's cheeks turned red. He realized then that he hasn't called Sam _Sammy_before and his cheeks also darkened, but Sam didn't mention anything about it. Gabriel reached down slowly and picked up his jeans from the floor, pulling them on before standing up and walking into his shoebox-sized closet, legs wobbling like he'd just fallen off a mechanical bull and his whole body was still vibrating.

"I can help you with that." Sam said slyly from behind Gabe, playing off of his prior statement and acting more like Gabriel than Gabriel was himself. Before he could turn around he felt large arms curl around his small waist, reaching around to slowly button his jeans and leaving Gabe falling back against Sam's front, head spinning and whole body tingling against his touch. When Sam finished zipping his jeans and gave Gabe the chance to breathe again, he gently took Gabe's chin in his hand and arched his head upward so he could kiss Gabe from behind. He was tall enough where he barely had to adjust his position in the slightest as he caught Gabe's bottom lip between his own.

"You're still here." Gabe whispered unintentionally as Sam pulled his lips away, silently cursing himself for speaking what he was thinking before actually thinking about what he'd be saying. And then completely confusing himself. Sam started walking back into the room, sitting down on the edge of the bed as he waited for Gabe to get ready. He was suspiciously quiet for a while as Gabe threw on a shirt over his head, making the decision that he didn't have enough time before work to take a shower even though he certainly needed one, rushing into the bathroom to brush his teeth and try to freshen up as best as possible. When Gabriel was just about finished with everything he worriedly looked over his shoulder at Sam, who was sitting on the bed, silently waiting on him.

"You okay?" Gabe asked softly, turning off the sink and walking over to the bed. Sam just smiled up at him, cheeks turning pink.

"We may be a little late getting to the shelter this morning..." Sam said tentatively, looking over at Gabe who had sat down on the bed next to him. Gabriel scrunched his eyebrows together in confusion, not completely understanding why Sam would think they'd be late, it was actually pretty early... Then it hit him and he couldn't help the shy smile from spreading across his lips, cheeks darkening.

"Yeah, we'll definitely be late..." Gabriel trailed off awkwardly as Sam had already started leaning in closer to him. He tried to hold back, man did he try, but it didn't pan out. He gave up and pressed his lips to Sam's, the impact so hard that he actually knocked the bigger man back onto the bed. Sam kissed him back just as urgently, hands resting low on Gabriel's hips and making him shiver, Gabe's legs spread lazily on either side of Sam as he rolled them over and all Sam's weight crushed Gabe down against the mattress. Truth is, he was surprised... This was the first time in two years that Gabe's routine had changed, that someone other than Cassie had been there when he woke up. Sam had stayed. Why_wouldn't _Sam stay? If Gabriel had been over at Sam's last night he definitely would have stayed. No questions asked.

"You sure?" Sam hushed in between lazy kisses as Cassie, still not satisfied with waking Gabe up, started biting at Sam's hair and trying her hardest to be the center of attention again and get in between them. Sam laughed lightly against Gabe's lips as he pushed Cassie away and deepened the kiss. This was new and this was definitely better than any other morning Gabe had ever had in his life. Gabriel could get used to mornings starting like this... As his mind swarmed with Sam and Sam's touch and Sam's tongue slowly licking Gabe's lips open to venture further into his mouth, he wished more than ever that he'd wake up to this every morning. He never knew he needed it this bad until now, incased in Sam's hold, arms wrapping around the base of Sam's neck to pull him down even closer against him.

"You know... We're going to have to get up sometime. Definitely not _now, _but sometime." Sam hushed against Gabe's lips, but Gabe wasn't making any sign of moving away from Sam. Sam didn't seem to be going anywhere soon either as he pressed his hands under Gabe's shirt and worked his large palms up over his bare chest, succeeding at taking the shirt off and throwing it on the floor as he moved his lips down Gabe's neck to bite down gently on his collarbone, Gabriel moaning softly into his shoulder.

Gabe would rather never go to work again than be separated from Sam now.

"Work can wait."

And it did.

* * *

"YOU HAVE TO TELL ME EVERY DETAIL OR I_ WILL_ DISOWN YOU!" The staff at Starbucks turned around and glared at them as Ellen was practically jumping with curious glee, shaking Gabe by the lapels of his jacket. Gabe couldn't be happier to know that Sam was already on his way to pick up Harley from the shelter and wasn't here to deal with this. Gabe rolled his eyes and pulled away from Ellen's extremely tight grip on him, jumping up to sit on the counter, swaying his legs out of habit as his cheeks darkened just thinking about everything that's happened.

"Well... Right after dinner we started making out against-" Ellen sighed dramatically, placing her finger against his lips to cut him off.

"Start at the good part... Please? My life is boring." Ellen all but deadpanned, pouting her lip.

"I will if you shut up and remove your disgusting finger from my lips, perv." Ellen glared at him and stopped bouncing in place as she sat on the counter next to Gabe, nudging him with her shoulder and gleefully asking _tell me_ about a thousand times in a row, clearly not catching Gabe's drift one bit, either that or not caring to, until Gabe almost lost it and just blurted something sarcastic out that would make her stop.

"Then he fucked me against a wall. Happy?" Clearly, that's not what happened. He thought that _maybe_ that would make Ellen stop, but she still pushed on, wanting to know every detail of it and Gabe was starting to think they shared a very_ very _unhealthy relationship if she seriously wanted to know more about_ that._

"I was kidding, geez... Sam's more of a gentlemen than that. There was a bed involved and I'm not telling you anymore, just that it was the best night of my life in years and he_stayed_. He was there when I woke up and... _Hot damn._" Ellen stopped edging him on and just smiled, leaning into Gabe's shoulder.

"You really like this guy, huh?" Ellen asked even though she clearly knew the answer, she just wanted to hear it from Gabe.

"Yeah. I do." Gabe said smiling, nudging her back before jumping back off the counter and grabbing his half-empty cup of coffee that had been threatened to be spilled over his head earlier if he didn't fess up. This seriously felt like high school all over again. Ellen needing to know about every hook-up Gabe had and playfully fighting with him and leading into her own type violence and torture if he didn't explain everything to her. Things couldn't be better.

* * *

It was so painless... Falling in love with Sam. It's been about a month since that first night, Christmas was in a few days and for the first time in years he finally had someone to spend it with. Everything was like something of of a movie, Gabriel feeling like he was falling in love all over again every morning he opened his eyes to find Sam smiling at him tiredly. Sam had gotten a job at the shelter, he was the new handyman, also helping with the dogs whenever he felt like it. Anna continued growing suspicious about the two of them, but if she'd figured anything out already, she clearly didn't say it. One day Gabe had gone in the back to give one of the dogs a bath. He was really starting to stink up the joint and the only bath this rundown shelter had was a kiddy pool outside with some soup and a hose. The dog wasn't very accepting of that so Sam ended up helping him, the two of them ending up spraying each other with the hose and Gabe falling into the half-full kiddy pool when he went to try to grab the dog before he got away. With all the noise that had been happening outside, Anna had rushed out the back door and stood by with her arms crossed, laughing lightly and Sam helped Gabe up from out of the kiddy pool, both soaking wet from head to toe and the dog running around them tauntingly. Anna told them to go home and change and come back to work. Safe to say they never made it back to work... The next day when they came to work Sam snuck a small kiss before running off to fix the lights once again, it was still sucky, and Gabe didn't notice until he was gone that Anna had been in front office, watching him through the dividing window and lifting her eyebrows when he turned around and saw her. So yeah, she knew now. Hasn't said anything, but she knew. Ellen on the other hand came into the shelter more often than she ever had before, checking up in Gabe when she had time off. She brought lunch for them one time and the three of them sat on the hood of Sam's impala, Ellen trying to get to know Sam better until eventually they were really close friends. It was perfect. Every moment of every new day. And Gabe still couldn't believe it was actually happening. He was falling hard, but knowing Sam would be the one to catch him made falling much easier.

Gabe was sitting on the couch in Sam's apartment, he'd been staying over there for a few days now and Cassie had joined Harley also. Not to say it was the quietest of places now. Sam was in the kitchen making popcorn as Gabe continued to go through his movie collection, trying to decide on which they should watch. A Christmas movie apparently, at least that's the only movies Sam handed Gabe. He said they needed to get in the spirit since it was already Christmas Eve and his brothers would be coming over tomorrow. Dean and Castiel. Gabe's heard a lot about them in the past few weeks after Sam found out that they were coming down from Sacramento because the family reunion didn't go that well. Sam still called Cas his brother even though the two weren't officially married yet, he always had so much to say about Cas and Gabe couldn't wait to meet both of them now, he just wished he'd be good at first impressions.

"Have you picked one out yet?" Sam asked as he walked over to the couch, carrying a bowl of popcorn and wearing his sweatpants that were too big on him and hung real low on his waist. Damn did Gabe love those sweatpants. Gabriel moved over on the couch for Sam to sit down and shoved a movie in his direction before taking the candy cane out of his mouth and plopping it in Sam's. Sam rolled his eyes and removed the candy cane so he could talk.

"It's a Wonderful Life? You pick the oldest movie out of all of these-"

"I used to watch it every Christmas as a kid, it was my mom's favorite. And it's classic Sam, not old, _classic_." Sam smiled and leaned in to kiss his cheek softly, pulling back and sticking the candy cane back in Gabe's mouth before getting off the couch and putting the DVD in.

"Speaking of your family... You never talk about them, am I ever going to meet them?" Sam asked nonchalantly as the movie started playing old previews and he made his way back to the couch. Gabriel was quiet, moving as Sam laid down on the couch before curling up against him, back to his chest, head under his chin, the popcorn bowl balancing on the arm of the couch. Gabriel hasn't even thought about his family, definitely not about them meeting Sam. They weren't the greatest of people to be around and Gabe still felt like they've been pushing him away since the second they found out he was into guys in high school. That's when he started staying over at Ellen's a lot, her mom didn't mind because she understood and they'd been childhood friends anyway. He never spent that much time with or around his family since graduation, and even then they were merely sitting in the crowd, not even waving, just being there to be there and looking unhappy about it.

The movie started playing and Sam wrapped his arms tighter around Gabriel, pulling him back against him and leaving kisses on his neck as Gabe tried his hardest not to think about his family anymore and pay attention to the movie. Of course that too was hard when Sam's hand slid from his chest, traveling down and landing on his thigh.

"Sam, can we watch the movie?" Gabriel asked humorously. "This feels wrong, seeing as how I always used to watch this with my mom and now you're manhandling me." Sam laughed lightly against the top of Gabriel's head as he pulled his hand back up to curl around Gabe's chest.

"Tell me more about your mom."

"You clearly miss the whole point of watching a movie, Sammy." Gabe said quietly as he sunk further into Sam's hold, escaping the cold by burrowing back against Sam's chest. He decided that if he wanted to get through this movie he'd have to tell Sam that he wasn't close to his family, maybe he'd just understand and leave it at that, stop questioning him so much.

"I understand." Sam said softly, breath on the back of his neck. Gabriel hadn't even mentioned anything yet, but Sam could figure out something must be up if he wasn't talking. He's usually one to share he stories proudly, not shy away from them unless something was definitely up. Gabriel smiled and turned his head around to kiss Sam, whispering _thanks _against his lips before grabbing a handful of popcorn and returning his gaze to the movie. It only took about two seconds before Sam piped up again.

"Why are the stars talking?"

_"They're angels Sammy, I swear to God..."_


	5. Family Reunion Sorta

Ugh... I've taken so long, this one was definitely hard and I'm not happy with it. Hopefully you will be, I'm not. Maybe because I had to read over it a billion times trying to perfect it, or maybe I just have to work on my confidence... ANYWAY, the next chapter is most likely the last so... Yeah. Oh and, more Destiel! Yaya! As always feedback is greatly encouraged and appreciated(:

* * *

Gabe felt Sam's lazy lips on his but he refused to wake up. It was incredibly early... Instead he curled back against Sam and sighed tiredly, eyes kept closed against Sam's chest. "Gabriel, you_have_ to get up, it's Christmas!" Sam said like an excited child. He started shaking Gabe's shoulders, apparently done with trying to wake him up easy. Gabe moaned annoyingly and opened his eyes to find Sam smiling at him like a damn five year old, his bed head sticking up in different directions and looking incredibly cute. He was wearing the ugliest Christmas sweater Gabe had ever seen in his life. That's when Gabe started wondering how he got from the couch to the bed and when Sam got up to change.

"Sammy... What the hell are you wearing?" Gabe asked softly, scrunching his eyebrows together and sitting up on the bed, resting against Sam.

"It. Is. Christmas." Sam said smiling, jumping off the bed and pulling Gabe with him. Gabriel groaned but followed his lead, hands wrapped around Sam's arm as he guided him into the living room.

"Y'know, as much as you believe Santa left something for you kiddo, you're _definitely_ on the naughty list..." Gabriel tried to be sarcastic but his eyes kept closing on him, his feet surprisingly keeping up with Sam as he continued on through the small apartment, talking nonstop about something... Gabriel completely zoned him out as his mind buzzed with sleep.

"...They got here early this morning!" He heard Sam say and his eyes shot open. He stopped walking and looked around through blurry eyes that were slowly clearing. There was rustling in the kitchen and the sound of two people fighting over how long the pie should stay in the oven. Gabriel suddenly let go of Sam's arm and looked down at himself. He was still wearing his sweatpants and Sam's overly large hoodie that completely consumed him. Gabe panicked and hid behind Sam when the voices got closer, running his fingers through his messy hair to comb it down. This was already beginning to seem like a bad first impression... _be cool be cool be cool be cool_ - Sam laughed against him and slowly pulled him back around, pushing him into the kitchen and causing him to nearly trip over himself. The two in the kitchen turned around suddenly when they heard him tumble into the room, one of them nudging the other, leaning in to whisper something in the other's ear. Sam had traveled back into the living room, leaving Gabe alone and awkward.

"You must be Gabriel. I've heard a lot about you." The taller one said, his green eyes shining against the light above them, freckles lined across his nose and short brown hair still slightly messed up like Sam's. He started walking over to Gabe, the other man tagging behind him with his finger curled through his belt loop. Gabriel smiled and reached out his hand to shake the taller man's, desperately wishing Sam had stayed.

"I'm Dean, the brother of the oversized five year old ball of fluff. And this is Castiel, my better half." When Dean mentioned Castiel's name the guy behind him smiled, his cheeks turning pink as he leaned in closer to Dean, cheek resting against his shoulder. He reached out his hand to shake Gabe's also, smiling sweetly.

"It's nice to meet you, Gabriel. Make sure to stick with that one," Cas smiled, nodding his head towards where Sam had run off to, "you can't do better than a Winchester." Gabriel heard Sam cough purposely from the living room and Dean laughed as he leaned down to kiss Cas, smiling against his lips and only pulling back a few inches to talk.

"I don't know about that Cas... Apparently I'm a pain in the ass." His said smartly with a smirk and Cas pushed playfully against his chest.

"Oh you are _definitely_ a pain in the ass, let me tell you..."

"Not now Cas... Think of the children." Dean said, looking away from Cas to wink at Gabe as Sam strode into the kitchen.

"I'm not a kid, you're a Jerk."

"Bitch." Dean smiled proudly to himself which just caused the younger brother to shoot him a bitch face, playfully smacking his ass on the way to get the pie out of the oven before it burns and all hell breaks lose. Gabriel was watching after Sam as he walked away and Dean had to snap to get his attention away from his brother's ass. Gabriel's cheeks were definitely burning now. First impression failing drastically by the second.

"So I heard your dog has the same name as Cas-"

"No Dean, the dog's name is Cassie and I have already banned you from ever calling me that." Cas was leaning against the counter, glaring almost murderously at Dean as he just smirked the comment off, walking over to the shorter man.

"Cassie-"

"Dean stop-!" Cas was trying to get away as Dean started tickling his torso from under his shirt.

"_Cassie Cassie Cassie_-" Gabriel smiled at the pair as Cas fell into an uncontrollable laughing fit, resting his forehead against Dean's shoulder in defeat as Dean went from tickling to peppering kisses along his neck. Cassie ran from the other room and jumped around the pair excitedly after hearing her name being said so many times and Gabe rolled his eyes as he walked over to join Sam. He jumped up onto the only part of the counter that didn't have something on it and watched Sam intently as he pulled the pie out of the oven, cursing under his breath when the foil slightly touched his exposed skin before setting it down on the counter next to Gabe.

"Don't put me on the spot like that when I'm not even fully awake, Sammy, you could have caused me to have a stroke or something." Gabe stated smartly, smirking at Sam who just shook his head and rolled those puppy dog eyes of his before walking over to Gabe and pulling his legs around his waist.

"You're fine. Trust me." Sam said softly, leaning in to kiss his nose and laughing as he pulled away and Gabe was left chasing after his lips. It took a chuckle from Cas and a whistle from Dean to bring Gabe back to the reality that didn't include making out with Sam every five minutes. His brothers were here. Constant make out sessions with the youngest Winchester off limits. Not that Cas and Dean even _tried_ to separate. But that was a different story.

* * *

Why they were making a pie so early in the morning? Well, Dean insisted on eating pie for breakfast since it was a holiday, apparently that's what the arguing had been this morning. Cas said it 'wasn't healthy' and Dean said he 'didn't care' and it just went downhill from that. They never seemed truly angered by one another though, their bickering always ended in laughing fits or extreme make out sessions that Gabe rolled his eyes at and went into the other room, definitely blushing. There was no splitting those two up. Sam had gone out to get some 'supplies' which most likely meant a thousand and one candy canes or something like that. Not that Gabe minded at all, but Sam's apartment already looked like the North Pole threw up on it. Cas had gone with him, it took a lot of encouragement on Sam's part but once he mentioned that he wanted to spend more quality time with him alone, Cas couldn't disagree, leaving Dean with Gabe. It was a miracle those two were separated for even a short period of time, they were practically attached at the hip... Well, the lips actually. It was a little after lunch by now, they had spent most of the day catching up and making fun of the continual Hallmark movies on TV (even though Gabe could have sworn Cas started to tear up over one of them). Once it hit three in the afternoon and Sam and Cas were still out, Gabe decided he'd better pick up Ellen and Jo from their apartment. Ellen had said they'd be glad to come over for dinner and Johanna has been excited to finally meet 'uncle Gabe's boyfriend.'

"Hey Dean, you wanna come with me to pick up a few friends?" Gabe asked toward the living room from where he was changing in Sam's room. He heard the TV shut off and was relieved that he didn't have to sit through the rest of the latest Hallmark movie.

"Yeah, sure." He heard Dean call from the other room as he brushed his hair down with his fingers and pulled on Sammy's extra big, extra warm, hoodie over his head that almost reached his knees. He grabbed his keys from Sam's night stand and walked out into the living room to find Dean smiling widely at him. Which was a little odd.

"Let me guess, Sammy's?" He asked and Gabriel tried his hardest to hide the blush and play it off sarcastically.

"Yup, it's gotta be the warmest thing I've ever worn considering how it practically swallows me." He said with a smirk which made the older Winchester laugh.

The drive to Ellen's wasn't that long but Dean sure did have a lot to say in the matter of 'if you hurt my baby brother in any way I will haunt your ass.' The discomforting thing was that he said it with a smile. Also the fact that he said 'haunt' instead of 'beat' didn't make much sense. Weird, definitely weird. Other than that though, he was keen on learning more about Gabe. Nice guy. Real nice. Can be scary when he wants to be, but Gabriel could tell he cared a lot about Sam, probably more than himself by the way he was talking. Dean slipped while explaining stories from their childhood and mentioned that their mother had died when Sam was sixth months old and his dad became an alcoholic after the fact... That would explain why Sam was happy to find an excuse to miss the family reunion. Gabriel was trying really hard to keep his mind on the road as his hands tightened around the steering wheel and his eyes stun. He felt guilty mostly, Sam hadn't told him any of this yet but Dean didn't seem to have trouble mentioning everything as if it meant nothing. He's probably used to sharing everything up to what he ate for breakfast with Cas. That was probably it. Gabriel was quiet for a the rest of the drive and Dean seemed to look concerned.

"Did I say something... Did Sam-"

"No, he didn't." Gabriel said quietly, willing his voice to stay steady. That was most likely why Sam had wanted so badly to know about Gabe's mom last night, he hadn't even known his...

They reached Ellen's apartment soon enough after that, Dean had stayed quiet the rest of the drive, giving him an apologetic look once in a while. The door flew open before Gabe could even knock, revealing Ellen in an ugly christmas sweater (almost as bad as Sam's) Jo on her hip with a Barbie doll clenched in her hand. She was slightly bouncing in place, obviously a cause of the large intake of candy during the holidays, smiling largely at Gabe before leaning in to kiss his cheek. She must be in a good mood, this hardly happened.

"MERRY CHRISTMAS! Say hello to uncle Gabe, Johanna." Jo blushed and hid her face against her mom's shoulder causing Gabe to smile.

"Here, let me hold her for you. This is Dean Winchester, you two haven't met yet, Sam's brother." He said, nodding his head to Dean as Ellen plopped Jo in his arms. She had just turned four recently... Damn, time passed by so quickly, he remembered the day she was born like it was yesterday. Gabe maneuvered her to his hip and she wrapped her small arms around his neck instantly, now hiding her face against _his _shoulder.

"Hey uncle Gabe." She whispered sweetly and Gabriel couldn't help but smile. 'Uncle' had a nice ring to it. He never had much of a family before.

"Hey Jo, guess what?" He asked her softly as Dean had walked around them to shake Ellen's hand and the two of them were now conversing quietly.

"What?" Jo asked brightly, pulling her face away to smile up at Gabriel, her small nose bumping against his cheek.

"I've got something for you at the house. I also have someone very special, who I love very much, that can't wait to meet you." He smiled, kissing Jo's forehead and making her giggle happily. He hadn't noticed that both Ellen and Dean had stopped talking and were now smiling at him. Gabe tried to hide his blush as he just realized he announced that he loved Sam in front of Sam's brother and his best friend, whom he hadn't told yet. None of them brought it up the whole drive back, but he got a lot of murderous glances from Ellen that had a hint of_ you-need-to-tell-me-about-all-of-your-lovey-dovey- feelings-or-so-help-me-I-will-tell-Sam-about-Vegas _. No one wants to know about their experiences in Vegas. No one.

* * *

Sam struggled back to the Impala with a bunch of shopping bags in his arms, cursing himself internally for not getting a cart. Cas had some of his own, but not nearly as much. Somehow they were able to fit everything in the trunk without filling up the backseat before heading to the shelter, Sam had left a few things behind and Anna had given him the key awhile ago incase the place was ever locked up. Cas was glad to get to see where Sam's been working, talking nonstop about how happy he's been with Dean lately, looking flustered at times, some things causing his cheeks to darken innocently and arms to hug his trench coat tighter around himself. But as cute as the guy may be, he did have an evil side. He made sure to mention that Dean was planning on stealing the Impala back sometime since he can't stand Cas' car any longer. But the guy wouldn't give Sam any hints on when. Only that he'd be helping. _Great..._

"Have you guys thought of wedding plans yet?" Sam asked brightly, changing the subject back and sneaking a look over at Cas as he drove down the familiar street to the shelter.

"I can't say." Cas smiled widely and Sam arched his eyebrows at him.

"Why not?" He asked, knowing Castiel was about as good at lying as a Vulcan would be. Great, now his inner nerd is showing...

"Uhhh... It's, it's a surprise really. I seriously can't say Sam, don't get me in trouble with your brother."

"Sure sure... But I bet you'd enjoy-"

"Sam, that is entirely inappropriate." Sam couldn't help but laugh as they turned into the parking lot of the animal shelter, Cas getting out of the Impala the second it was in park, most likely to hide his blazing red cheeks. The shelter wasn't locked, they weren't alone either. One car was still in the parking lot, which was extremely odd. It was Christmas, everyone at the shelter had the day off. Everyone. Why would anyone... Sam lost his train of thought when he walked in and found Anna going through papers in her office. She had heard the bell on the door and looked up, greeting Sam and Cas with a struggled smile. She wasn't the only one who noticed their arrival, a row of dogs started barking and whining down the hall and Cas looked up at Sam wearily, he was always more of a cat person. Both Dean and Cas. Dean's always hated dogs.

"What are you still doing here?" Sam asked after collecting his bags and walking into Anna's office as Cas was curiously kneeling in front of the kennels. Anna looked up from the desk and pushed her red hair out of her eyes.

"I'm just settling a few last minute adoptions and... Y'know, stuff." That was very unlike Anna. Sam walked in and leaned against the table, causing her to look up at him with a mix between wanting to kill him and being grateful for the company. It was Christmas and she was alone. That's all Sam knew. Maybe her family's flight was canceled or all her friends had families to go to, or her boyfriend just ended it... Whoa, Sam needed to stop thinking so much and just ask her. He was pretty sure she hadn't been dating anyway-

"So uh... If you aren't doing anything, which clearly this paperwork can be finished another time, you can come over to my apartment for Christmas dinner... If you'd like to. Gabriel will be there along with my brother and his fiancée, Cas-" Sam nodded his head to the shorter man who was busy petting a small poodle through the bars of one of the kennels. He turned around to wave when hearing his name, Anna smiled back. "Also, you've met Ellen Harvelle before, she's been here quite a few times, her and her daughter will also be joining us-"

"Thank you very much, Sam, but I shouldn't invade-"

"You wouldn't be, not at _all_. The more the merrier." Sam said with a dimpled smile that no one in the universe would be able to turn down. Not even Anna Milton.


	6. Home

**This is the end my friends... Thank you for all the reviews along the way, and as always, feedback for this last chapter is greatly encouraged and appreciated(: seriously though, my favorite thing is hearing from you guys, makes my day ^_^** **I really hope you enjoy the ending! It would suck if I didn't end it right but... I think it's alright(; hope you agree!**

* * *

Gabe was sitting on the couch with Jo at his side (she had insisted on getting her own seat and not sitting on someone's lap). Ellen had laid down across the rest of the couch with her head resting in Gabe's lap. Dean and her got off pretty well, she really liked him. There was something about Winchesters that always got her flustered, finally something Gabe could make fun of her for.

"You ever gonna tell me about you new hardcore feelings for Sammy?" She asked, Jo decided to hit Gabe's arm with her Barbie and gave him a pout. _They are totally double teaming this right now..._

"New? Definitely not new, Ellen. If you want to hear about hardcore feelings-"

"My child is sitting right next to you, I'd prefer if you don't explain them to me at the moment. But later, certainly. I'd love to hear about everything. Apart from that, what I meant was, when did the _L_ word come into play?" Gabe knew that was coming, but he still stiffened, cheeks turning red as Ellen looked up at him smirking. He could really easily pull her hair right now... He didn't have to answer though because suddenly the front door shot open to reveal Sam in that damn sweater, followed by Cas who was talking to... Wait, is that _Anna_? Despite the new company, Sam still walked over to Gabriel, smiling as he leaned down to kiss him.

"Sam... You guys are cute and all but I'd prefer if your chest wasn't over my face right now." Ellen mumbled and Sam laughed as he pulled away and smiled at her before spotting Johanna sitting next to Gabe, looking up at him with wide curious eyes.

"And you must be Johanna Beth. I've heard a lot about you." Sam said with a smile, sitting down on his knees to be level with her. Ellen sat up and leaned against Gabe's side as Anna walked the rest of the way into the room, partly being tugged by Cas. They sat down on the love seat opposite the couch, Cas jumping back up the second he saw Dean walk into the room. Anna looked extremely out of place and Gabriel decided to leave Sam and Ellen with Jo and walked over to sit next to his boss. Yes, his boss. His boss is at his boyfriend's apartment on Christmas. This was weird on so many different levels.

"Hey." Gabe said, Anna turned her head to smile at him, pushing the fallen strands of red hair out of her eyes.

"Hey, so umm...You two?" She asked, smiling cheekily and nodding her head to Sam, who was currently picking up Jo, allowing her to climb on his shoulders and play with his long hair. "I _knew_ it." She smirked like a fox, Gabe's cheeks turning bright red.

"_That_ obvious? Really?" Gabe asked sarcastically causing her to laugh. Sam was on his way over to Gabe, Jo still hanging onto his shoulders and giggling happily, Ellen practically beaming from the couch where Dean and Cas had accompanied her and were now most likely conversing about wedding plans. God knows Ellen would be the one to bring that up. Sam kneeled in front of the love seat so Jo could crawl off his shoulders and into Gabe's lap before sitting with his back to the small couch, shoulders resting between Gabe's knees.

"Yup, _that_ obvious." Anna piped up again and Gabriel couldn't help but laugh as Sam leaned his head back to smile up at him. Meanwhile, Cassie was on a mission to get Dean's attention, barking up at him and scratching his legs before giving up and jumping onto the couch to lick his face. It was rather ironic. Cas seemed to find it amusing also as he smiled a cheeky grin and pulled Dean against him by his jacket. They'd be busy for awhile... Gabe put his hand over Jo's eyes and Ellen laughed, rolling her eyes at him but nudging Cas in the back and raising her eyebrows.

"Johanna here told me something about you." Sam said, his smile widening so that his perfect dimples cut into his cheeks. Gabriel's face suddenly felt heated as everyone in the room now had their eyes on them, Ellen sharing a secret kind of smile with him that only told him one thing. She was definitely behind this. You know, they should really be starting dinner by now, it was already almost four in the afternoon and they were all still interested in Gabe. Maybe he could randomly bring it up to Ellen-

"She said that you... Love me very much and I'm a very special person." Sam was blushing now, but not nearly as much as Gabe. Before Sam could say anything else, he leaned down quickly to kiss him, catching his top lip between his as Sam laughed lightly at the weird position. When he pulled away everyone was still staring at them but he really didn't care. Dean was the first one to cut through the tension in the room and ask Ellen if she would like to help him and Cas start cooking. She practically fell off the couch when it was mentioned, smiling more widely than Gabe has seen her smile in a long time. Gabe looked bak at Sam, who was still smiling up at him with that damn smile that lit up the whole room, and Gabriel suddenly felt guilty again. He really needed to tell him he knew about- But it's not like he pressured Dean into telling him or anything- He just did. Gabe pondered it for a few moments as Jo started crawling over his lap to smile up at a surprised Anna. He slowly got off the couch and looked down at Sam, cocking his head towards the room.

"Can I... Can I talk to you for a second?" He ignored Dean's whistle from the kitchen and reached out a hand to help Sam up. Sam looked confused but decided not to ask when he saw the look on Gabe's face. He could always tell when something was wrong and Gabe wished nothing would be wrong right now. Not today. Any day but today, Dean had told him how much Sam loved Christmas and Gabe could tell when he woke up to an excited five year old version of Sam dragging him out of bed like a child would drag their parents, excited to see what Santa brought. Once they were in the room Gabe turned towards him and stood on his toes, reaching up to kiss Sam, arms curling around his neck. Sam smiled against his lips as Gabe struggled to stay at his height.

"What is it, Gabriel?" Sam asked softly, hot breath brushing against Gabe's lips as he pulled away.

"It's nothing. I just... Sorta felt guilty about something and I need to get it off my chest." That's okay, right? That isn't _bad_... Sam won't be upset, he'll understand. Sam chuckled quietly at Gabe's look before kissing him again and Gabe knew nothing he says would kill this man's spirit.

"Dean... Dean told me something about... About your mom." Gabe thought that was enough, he didn't have to explain further as he saw Sam's eyes darken slightly at the small mention of it, smile slightly faltering, not obvious enough for other people to notice, but Gabe did. He suddenly cursed himself, running a hand through his hair and wishing he hadn't even- Why would he bring it up- _Now_ of all times- Was Sam mad-? Sam was definitely mad- Damn, he needs to smile again- What if he doesn't-? Did he just ruin Christmas-? _Dammit Gabe_- Always something...

"Gabe." Sam tilted Gabe's head back up to his. He was smiling. Thank _God_, he was smiling. "I love you." Gabe started to wonder what that had to do with the situation at the moment, but he realized he didn't care when Sam bent down to kiss the tip of his nose. He felt undeserving.

"I love you too, Sammy." Gabe thought he should say more, thought he should apologize for knowing something about Sam that Sam wasn't the one to tell him. Thought he should apologize for bringing this up on Christmas of all days. But Sam didn't seem to be looking for an apology. Gabe was contemplating kissing him again when Harley came into the room collided into the back of his knees, making him fall into Sam, both of them ending up on the ground with a German Shepard licking their faces, just like the second day they'd kissed.

"Harley. Not the time-" Sam didn't finish as the dog tried licking his mouth, Gabe trying to stifle his laughter at Sam's disgusted face as Harley's slobber trailed down his cheek.

"Uhh... Guys?" It was Anna. Damn was this near déjà vu-y... Gabe untangled his legs from Sam's and shot up from the ground, fixing his sweater and trying to hide his burning cheeks as Sam managed to get up and wrap his arm around his waist. Anna just shook her head, smiling at them while Harley licked at her hand in an attempt to get her to pet her.

"I remember you..." Anna said, smiling down at the German Shepard and petting behind her ears. "Your new daddy here hit you with a car, aren't you one important dog. If he hadn't, he wouldn't have met this scrawny sweetheart-"

"Who you calling scrawny-?!"

"-and they wouldn't have fallen in love." Anna finished, disregarding Gabe's comment and smiling up at Sam whose cheeks were probably as red as Gabe's now.

"Yeah she's... She's one important dog." Sam said quietly, pulling Gabe closer and kissing the top of his head.

* * *

They all helped with dinner, even Jo. It was nice having everyone around, this was the first Christmas in years that Gabe wasn't sitting completely alone in his apartment, eating leftovers with Cassie. And Ellen was ecstatic. He's never seen her so happy... Ever. Nothing's ever been more perfect, more relaxed, more easy. It was almost_ too_ easy. And Gabe realized, that's what love is, isn't it? Everything starting to seem_ too easy_ because you can't believe you actually fit together so perfectly with someone else. Of course... Height difference was another story all together.

They were all gathered in the small living room now, Cas and Dean sitting on the couch together, keeping Johanna occupied as Ellen engaged in a conversation with Anna, always quick to make good friends, that one. Everyone had already exchanged small gifts and Cas had finally spoke up about the 'surprise' he had told Sam about the wedding earlier. Of course it wasn't much of a surprise, everyone already knew Dean would pick Sam as his best man... But that wasn't the biggest part. Apparently their father finally warmed up to the fact that Dean and Castiel were getting married no matter what he said about it, and was actually attending the wedding now. Sam told Gabe that it was a big deal for Dean. _Huge_. And Gabriel could understand that, knowing his family...

It's A Wonderful Life was still playing on TV in the background as Gabe walked up behind Sam and turned him around to face him by his belt loops. Damn he moved so easily for Gabe...  
Sam had made Gabe swear not to get him anything for Christmas, but what kind of boyfriend would he be if he'd listened? And it really wasn't much... Well, kind of.

"Hey." He said warmly, reaching up on his toes to plant a kiss on Sam's jawline, keeping the small grift hidden behind his back.

"Hey." Sam smiled but eyed him curiously as Gabe pulled the small package out.

"Gabe... I told you-"

"Since when do I listen? Anyway, it's not much Sammy, so don't get your panties in a twist." Gabe smirked and held the package up higher, rolling his eyes when Sam gave him a bitch face. Cas and Dean had stopped playing 'barbies' with Johanna and were now watching them, Cas smiling brightly and Dean looking slightly weary but with a hint of... Proud father? What, did he seriously _know_? Gabe hadn't mentioned...

"But I didn't get you-"

"Just open it, Sam!" Ellen shouted from the couch and Gabe couldn't help but agree with her this one time. Sam smiled and slowly started unwrapping the small box, his hand freezing when he finally got it all the way open. Gabe's heart stopped for a moment as the whole room went silent and Sam stared at the box in his hand, taking out a key. But then his eyes started to water and he smiled that perfect smile of his that lit up the whole world, allowing Gabe to breathe again.

"Gabe I-" He didn't finish. He set the key and package on the table next to them before pulling Gabe into his arms, burying his face in his shoulder. Gabe's feet definitely weren't touching the ground any longer and he couldn't really-

"Sammy... Love the hug and all... But I can't breathe-"

"Oh, sorry." Sam said and loosened his grip, Gabe's feet touching back onto the ground. "I love you." He whispered so that no one else could hear. Gabe felt a mix between wanting to cry and pushing Sam against the wall and kissing him breathless. But he didn't want to do either in front of everyone so he decided on pulling back and kissing Sam softly, hands curling around his neck just like always, fingers threading through his long hair perfectly. Like he found his missing puzzle piece. He was finally whole.

"So... Do you want to?" Gabe asked, pulling back and nodding towards the key. Sam smiled and rolled his eyes, leaning down to kiss him again.

"Isn't it obvious, Gabe?" He asked against his lips. "I want _you."_


End file.
